MCCORMICK SQUARE: A COMPLETE EVENT EXPERIENCE

McCormick Square will include the McCormick Place convention center, a new 10,000-seat Event Center, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the new Marriott Marquis Chicago, all connected under one roof.

More than just a building complex, Chicago's newest neighborhood McCormick Square will offer exhibition and meeting space, hotels and entertainment all within walking distance, along with a new Hotel and Event Center opening in 2017.

The new Near South Side community is situated between the South Loop, Chinatown, the Prairie District, and Bronzeville and will serve as a destination for tourists, convention goers, and Chicagoans.

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) project will spur restaurant and retail development and boost ongoing revitalization such as the historic Motor Row Entertainment District.

The growing McCormick Square neighborhood includes the McCormick Place convention center, a new 10,000-seat Event Center, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the new Marriott Marquis Chicago, all connected under one roof—all walkable to the McCormick Place Entertainment District and public transportation.

"The addition of the Event Center and the Marriott Marquis Chicago, coupled with the Hyatt Regency, McCormick Place, and the exciting tourist attractions planned nearby, McCormick Square is becoming a destination rather than just a building," says MPEA CEO Lori Healey.

The McCormick Place Rooftop Garden is also partnering with the South Loop Farmers Market this summer to continue providing sustainable local agriculture to guests through catering services and convention center dining.

This new 10,000-seat, multi-purpose facility will feature 22 suites and 479 club seats, serving as a general session hall for large business meetings and conventions as well as a venue for concerts, sporting events, and other major special events.

A first-class NCAA basketball court will be the new home court for the DePaul University basketball teams.

McCormick Place is now connected to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) via both city bus and elevated train. The Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line Station opened in 2015 near the intersection of Cermak Avenue and State Street and directly west of the McCormick Place convention center.

The $50 million station provides much needed access to rapid transit for neighborhood residents and businesses, including McCormick Place. Pedestrians enjoy easy access on foot directly to McCormick Place, neighborhood businesses (including restaurants and nightlife), Motor Row and Chinatown. The station provides elevators, bicycle parking and convenient bus connections to a number of CTA bus routes, including the #1 Bronzeville/Union Station, #4 Cottage Grove, #21 Cermak and #29 State.

New Events Already Lining Up

The McCormick Square enhancements build upon current campus offerings and the desirable combo of two hotels and an event center are drawing events and shows that weren't previously possible.

The sales team has already booked three new events: the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2022 and 2026, Property Loss Research Bureau in 2021, and the large corporate meeting Genentech in 2018.

These events will bring an estimated 31,000 room nights to the area with an estimated economic impact of almost $26 million.

"McCormick Square is already delivering on its promise to provide more in one centralized location," said Healey.

With additional entertainment and tourism options under development and current developments underway at McCormick Square, the area will be a highly sought destination.